Display rack



March 17, 1953 s. s. TUNIS 2,631,802

DISPLAY RACK Filed May 10, 1949 INVENTOR Stev e S. Tuitis ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPL'AY RACK :Steve Tunis, Cleveland, Ohio .Application Ma'yilll, 1949,'Ser'ialNo.'92,401

v 17 tClaims. 1

This invention 'rl'a-es ito' 'collapsilcle stands adapted for a "wide variety of '*uses in the home and elsewhere for supporting various objects.

One type of use for which the stands of the present invention are particularly suitableiis for holdingplates o'f fo'od at bnfiettsuppers and other informal gatherings "where guests can not all be seated at tables. The stands mayalso be used to hold trays of hors d oeuvre's, condimentspand the like at convenient locations-among a gathering of people or -adj acent card' tables foriexample. Many other uses for the :stands will be recognized, such "as supporting various :kinds 'o'f advertising or "decorative displays :and articles of :merchandise :in stores and other places where .such needs are encountered.

.A-particularzobject ofthe inventionis to provide a stand .of 'such simplerconstruction that it can be made very inexpensively, .so that average families :can afford to :purchase 'them in lots of as'many as half a dozen or more :for use about the-home and'so that small :clubs and other-organizations can afford to own a considerable number 'of the stands :for occasional or periodic use at spccial gatherings.

Another objectof the inventionis'to provide 'a collapsible :stand which can be compactly .folded forstorage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible stand which is easilyfolded and unfolded andwhich can be securely locked .in .both operative and folded conditions for safety use and convenient handling while being transported or stored away. v

Still another object .is to provide a standhaving the foregoing advantages and yet being surficiently stable and sturdy to withstand relatively rough handling during'long .periods of use.

'Fur'ther objects and advantages of the invention and the principles of its construction and operation will "become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof anillius'trative mbodime'nt thereof, and irom the accompanying 'draw- 'Figure 1 is a'perspective'fiew '01 a stand ready for use with its collapsible i'parts 'lockedin their extendedoperativepositions';

Fig. "2 "is a fragmentary 'elevational' view of the stand on "a somewhat enlarged scale showing the manner in which 'thearmsand "foot members 'of the device may beswung about their hinges between their extended operative positions and theirfolded'positions; and

'Fig. 3 is anelevational view the stand "with the arms and root rnembers docked together in their collapsed or folded condition.

Referring to the drawing, .the'stand comprises a-central post I adapted .to be'disposedin a vertical position in use. This 'postmay conveniently be square in transverse section. Four foot members2, 3, 4, and5 are attached at one end tothe post 'I at points adjacent but spaced from the lower end thereof *by suitable hinges 6. The upper end 101? each foot memberis beveled at an angle corresponding to the desired divergence of the foot member from the vertical when in its operative position. The hinges are so attached to the foot members 'and to the central'pos't that the foot members may be swung'upwardly'against the post, as shown in Fig. 3 and are limited in their downward movement by contact of their beveled ends 1 with the portion 8 of the post extending below the hinges.

The foot members, whether three, four, or more in number, are preferably uniformly spaced'angularly about the central post I. Where four foot members are employed, as in the embodiment herein disclosed, they are preferably disposed apart around the post so that each foot member is diametrically opposite another. To hold the foot members in their operative, divergent 'positions, each diametrically opposite pair of foot members, such as 3 and 5 for example, is provided with a pair of cooperating fastening elements. These may be in the form of a long hook 9 pivotally attached to the foot member 5 and a pin 10 on the opposite foot member 3.so that, when the hook -9 engages the pin 10, the associated le s '3 and 5 are securely held in their divergent operative positions, asshown in Fig. 1. The otherpair of diametrically opposite foot members 2 and 4 is similarly equipped with the-same arrangement of fastening elements. The two hooks should be made of suificiently thin wire stock or the like so that they may cross one above the other Without material interference, even though both hooks 9 and both pins ID are mounted at the same elevation.

'Load carrying arms l2, l3, l4 and I5 (corresponding in number to the number of foot members) are vpivotally attached at one end to the centr'a1 post I at points adjacent but spaced from the upper end thereof by suitable hinges l 6, which may "be identical with the foot member hinges 6. These arms are adapted to be horizontally extended in use, as shown in Fig. 1, and their inner ends I! are cutsquare to abut-againstthe portion P8 of the post [extending above the hinges [6,

when the arms are extended. The arms are also" preferably "uniformly spaced angularly about the central post "and are respectively disposed in vertical alignment with the toot members.

To hold the arms in their operative extended positions, each diametrically opposite pair of arms such as l2 and M for example, is provided with a pair of cooperating fastening elements, which may also be in the form of a long, pivotally mounted hook i9 and a pin 20 so that, when the hook i9 engages the pin 20, the associated arms I 2 and M are securely held in their extended operative positions, as shown in Fig. 1. Since the secured position of the hook IS on the arm [2 is below the upper plane of the arm l where the two cross, the inner end of the arm I5 is notched, a shown at 22 to avoid interference. The other pair of diametrically opposite arms [3 and I5 is similarly equipped with the same arrangement of fastening elements, and the inner end of the arm I2 is also notched, as shown at 23, to avoid interference with the hook IS on the arm I2.

The two hooks 19 should also be made of sufficiently thin wire stock or the like to minimize interference where. they cross one another, though in this case it is feasible to dispose one set of hook and pin fastening elements slightly out of alignment with the other set without complicating their arrangement for carrying out an additional function when the stand is collapsed, ashereinafter described. This also permits the use of wire stock heavy enough to be reasonably rigid against bending.

The books I9 should fit rather tightly over the respectively cooperating pins 25. With the hooks l9 thus'placed under slight tension, while respectively supported by the bottoms of the notches 22 and 23, the arms are securely held in their extended operative positions and are capable of sustaining a reasonabl heavy load placed thereon. To assist in holding an article, such as a dinner plate for example, from sliding laterally off the supporting arms, the outer extremities of the extended arms may have upwardly turned portions 32, 33, 34, and 35 adapted to surround the base portion of a plate.

- By properly proportioning the lengths of the arms, foot members, and hooks, and by properly locating the hooks and cooperating pins on the arms and the foot members, the same fastening elements may be used to lock the device in its folded or collapsed condition, as shown in Fig. 3. In this condition, the hook is on the arm [2 engages thepin I c on the foot member 2, and the hook 9 on the foot member t engages the pin 2!) on the arm [4. The arm and foot member 3 and I3 are similarly locked together by the hook l9 on the arm is; and the arm and foot member 5 and [5 are similarly locked together by the hook 9 on the foot member 5.

The outer surfaces of the upturned ends 32, 33, 34, and 35, and the lower ends of the foot members 2, 3, l, and 5 preferably are provided with complementary contours, as shown in Fig. 3, with the end of each arm overlapping the end of the vertically aligned foot member in each case. With this arrangement, the stand may be held in its folded or collapsed condition by merely placing a rubber band or the like around the folded arms, thus dispensing with any necessity for using the hooks and pins for this purpose, as

in both their folded and operative positions, the

4 procedure for opening and collapsing the device should be apparent. It will also be apparent that the various objects and advantages of the invention, as set forth above, are achieved in a simple and inexpensive manner. By reason of the number of parts which are duplicates, or substantial duplicates, of each other, the cost of manufacture is kept to a minimum. The parts can be made and assembled from inexpensive and readily available materials to produce a device of rugged construction that is still compact when collapsed for storage. The obvious versatility of the device, its simplicity and compactness, and the low cost of its manufacture all combine to make it a practical and desirable item for use under a Wide variety of circumstances, both in the home and elsewhere.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A collapsible stand comprising a post adapted to be supported in a vertical position, at least three foot-members- .hingedly attached at their upper ends to said post adjacent the lower end thereof for swinging movement between 0perative downwardly and outwardly sloping positions and upwardly extending folded positions, said foot members being uniformly angularly spaced about said post, and a corresponding number of load carrying arms similarly spaced about said post, each being in vertical alignmentwith'one of said foot members, each of said arms being hingedly attached at one end to said post adjacent the upper end thereof for swinging movement between an operative outwardly extending position and a vertically depending folded position, the combined length of each arm and its aligned foot members being substantially equal to the length'of said post, and the free ends of each arm and its aligned foot member having complementary interlocking end surfaces in substantial engagement with each other in their folded positions, a cooperative pair of fastening elements associated with each pair of aligned foot andarm members, one of each pair of said fastening elements being attached to an arm and the other being attached to the foot member aligned therewith for interengagement of said fastening elements tosecure the associated foot and arm members in their engaged folded positions.

2. A collapsible stand comprising a post, four foot members hinged to one end of said post, four arms hinged to the opposite end of said post, both the foot members and arms being uniformly spaced about the post and eacharm being longitudinally aligned with one of said foot members, one pair of adjacent arms having hooksswingably mounted thereon, the aligned pair of. adjacent foot members having hook anchors mounted thereon, the other pair of adjacent arms having hookanchors mounted thereon, and the aligned pair of adjacent foot members having hooks,

swingably mounted thereon, the hooks on the arms being adapted to engage the anchors on the respective diametrically opposite arms for holding them in operative divergently extending posi-- tions, and to engage the anchors on the respec-.

tively aligned foot members for holding them in folded parallel positions against said post, thev hooks on the foot members being adapted to engage the anchors on the respective diametri cally opposite foot members for holding them in operative divergently extending directions and to engage the anchors on the respectivelyaligned arms for holding them in folded 7 parallel positions 2 against said post 3. A collapsible stand comprising a post, four foot members uniformly spaced about said post and hingedly mounted at their ends to the post adjacent one end thereof, four arms uniformly spaced about said post and hingedly mounted at their ends to the post adjacent the opposite end thereof, the hinge mountings and lengths of each aligned arm and foot member being designed to permit swinging movement thereof away from each other to divergent operative positions and swinging movement thereof toward each other into inoperative positions of longitudinal alignment with their free ends in substantial engagement, each pair of diametrically opposite foot members having a cooperative pair of fastening elements respectively mounted thereon for interengagement to connect opposite foot members and lock them in their operative positions, and each pair of diametrically opposite arm members having a cooperative pair of fastening elements respectively mounted thereon for interengagement to connect opposite arm members and lock them in their operative positions.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the combined length of each arm and its aligned foot member is substantially equal to the length of said post, and the free ends of aligned arm and foot members are complementary in contour and shaped so that the free end of one partially overlaps the free end of the other when they are in their aligned inoperative positions, whereby holding one in its inoperative position will lock the other in its inoperative position.

5. A collapsible stand comprising a post adapted to be supported in a vertical position, four foot members hingedly attached at their upper ends to said post adjacent the lower end thereof for swinging movement between operative downwardly and outwardly sloping positions and upwardly extending folded positions, said foot members being uniformly angularly spaced about said post, and a corresponding number of load carrying arms similarly spaced about said post, each being in vertical alignment with one of said foot members, each of said arms being hingedly attached at one end to said post adjacent the upper end thereof for swinging movement between an operative outwardly extending position and a vertically depending folded position, each aligned arm and foot member having a pair of cooperative fastening elements respectively mounted thereon for interengagement to hold the associated arm and foot member in their folded positions, and the fastening element of each arm being engageable with the fastening element of the diametrically opposite arm for holding both in their operative outwardly extending positions.

6. A collapsible stand comprising a post adapted to be supported in a vertical position, four foot members hingedly attached at their upper ends to said post adjacent the lower end thereof for swinging movement between operative downwardly and outwardly sloping positions and upwardly extending folded positions, said foot members being uniformly angularly spaced about said post, and a corresponding number of load carrying arms similarly spaced about said post, each being in vertical alignment with one of said foot members, each of said arms being hingedly attached at one end to said post adjacent the upper end thereof for swinging movement between an operative outwardly extending position and a vertically depending folded position, each aligned arm and foot member having a pair of cooperative fastening elements respectively mounted thereon, the fastening element on each arm being engageable with the fastening element of the aligned foot member for holding both in their folded position, and the fastening element of each foot member being engageable with the fastening element of the diametrically opposite foot member for holding both in their operative downwardly and outwardly sloping positions.

7. A collapsible stand comprising a post adapted to be supported in a vertical position, four foot members hingedly attached at their upper ends to said post adjacent the lower end thereof for swinging movement between operative downwardly and outwardly sloping positions and upwardly extending folded positions, said foot members being uniformly angularly spaced about said post, and a corresponding number of load carrying arms similarly spaced about said post, each being in vertical alignment with one of said foot members, each of said arms being hingedly attached at one end to said post adjacent the upper end thereof for swinging movement between an operative outwardly extending position and a vertically depending folded position, a fastening element on each arm and a cooperating fastening element on each foot member, the fastening element of each arm being engageable with the fastening element of the aligned foot member for holding both in their folded positions and being engageable with the fastening element of the diametrically opposite arm for holding both in their operative outwardly extending positions, and the fastening element of each foot member being engageable with the fastening element of the diametrically opposite foot member for holding both in their operative downwardly and outwardly sloping positions. STEVE S. TUNIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

